Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
Abia State has been awarded $500,000 (approximately N700 million) for being recognized as the best in Primary Health Care delivery service among South-East states and ranking among the top six nationwide in Nigeria.
This peer review award, organized by the Nigeria Governors Forum, was jointly sponsored by UNICEF, the Federal Ministry of Health, the Bill Gates Foundation, and the Dangote Foundation.
During a recent press conference in Umuahia following the State Executive Council meeting, Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, revealed that over 3,000 patients benefited from the 2025 Global Medical Outreach, which successfully took place from December 15 to 20 across five centers in the state.
Prince Kanu attributed this achievement to the ongoing efforts of Governor Alex Otti to revolutionize the state’s health sector. He highlighted the consistent allocation of 15 percent of the state’s annual budget to healthcare over three consecutive budget cycles, emphasizing the upgrades in facilities, strengthening of data systems, and training of health workers.
“This peer review program allows governors to assess their performance regarding primary healthcare services in their states,” Kanu stated.
“Abia won $500,000 in this regard, which converts to approximately N750 million.”
He described the award as further validation of Governor Otti’s transformative efforts in the health sector and praised the Governor’s investment in healthcare.
The Commissioner noted that the free medical treatments included eye and other surgeries for 120 patients. Additionally, the outreach trained 62 health workers in basic life support and advanced cardiovascular life support skills, with certification from the American Heart Association.
“One of the remarkable outcomes of this medical outreach is the training of 62 health workers, who received certification from the American Heart Association,” Kanu added.
He also announced that another free medical outreach, a collaborative initiative between the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and the state government, will be held from January 7 to 12 next year. This outreach will take place in seven primary health centers across the state and will include free training for Abia health workers at the Federal Medical Center in Umuahia.
Furthermore, Prince Kanu revealed that the second phase of “Project Ekwueme” will commence early next year, following the renovation, retrofitting, and functionalization of 200 primary health centers from the project’s first phase, which has recorded over 90% completion. This initiative aligns with the state government’s agenda to renovate, equip, and make functional the 948 primary health centers throughout Abia.
The Commissioner emphasized the government’s commitment to partnering with individuals and organizations to provide quality and affordable medical services to Abians, noting that a Primary Healthcare Center built and equipped by prominent Abian Chief James Umeh (Ike Abam) is set to be handed over to the state government on December 26, 2025, along with 30 housing units for widows in the community.
He encouraged Abians to practice responsible eating and drinking during the holiday season, maintain good hygiene, and avoid unqualified medical vendors and unauthorized medical outreach events.
Additionally, Prince Kanu announced that following the formal launch and handover of 20 mass transit buses, the State Ministry of Transport is finalizing operational details to ensure the efficient rollout of bus services.
Commissioner for Health, Prof. Enoch Ogbonnaya Uche, affirmed that the recognition of Abia validates the ongoing reforms under Governor Otti’s administration. He explained that the award is based on specific indicators and assured that the Ministry will strive for even greater results next year.
“This award is based on 13 key indicators, and Abia excelled nationally in two of them: the availability of essential medical commodities across our PHCs and the cleanliness and granularity of data,” stated Prof. Uche.
“We are committed to working hard over the next year to ensure that Abia secures the first prize. Notably, Abia has already been ranked as the number one state in the country regarding the health preparedness index.”
